City comparison
Des Moines, IA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Sioux City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Des Moines, IA to Sioux City, IA takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Des Moines has a population of 213,164, vs 85,469 in Sioux City — about 2.5× larger by population. By land area, Des Moines covers about 88 sq mi vs 59 sq mi for Sioux City.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Des Moines | Sioux City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $904/mo | 10.1% higher in Des Moines |
| Median home value | $170,700 | $149,800 | 14.0% higher in Des Moines |
| Median household income | $62,378 | $64,250 | 3.0% higher in Sioux City |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 85.2 | 83.5 | 2.0% higher in Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.1 | ≈ equal (Des Moines slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Des Moines slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Des Moines, you'd need $87,855 in Sioux City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 12.1% cheaper overall than Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 43% higher in Des Moines than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Des Moines, you'd need about $70,284 in Sioux City to keep the same standard of living.